Ninja Gaiden 3 tips and boss battle guide

Even ninjas need help sometimes

Welp, you dun goofed. Ninja Gaiden 3 review. You read our Ninja Gaiden 3 review and said something to the effect of “There’s no way it could suck THAT bad.” Hate to say we told you so, but…we told you so. Or maybe you actually like pressing one button over and over again for eight hours. At least we’re here to dull the pain. We’ve broken down the mechanics and stats of every single boss fight in the game—whether you’re playing on Normal difficulty or giving Master Ninja a go, here’s everything you’ll need to know to slice and dice your way to victory.

General Tips

Before we get to the bosses, here are some things you’ll want to know.

Ninpo Magic is now a “use it or lose it” ability. Your guage will fill when you attack and take damage. Once it’s full, don’t bother saving it—the gauge will drain once the current wave of enemies is defeated.

When Ryu’s sword or arm glows red, holding the Strong Attack button will cause him to instantly murder multiple dudes in one hit. It’s nice for building up that Ninpo gauge or reducing enemy ranks when swarmed—especially by those rocket launcher-toting jerks.

Steel on Bone techniques let you kill foot soldiers pretty quickly, and you can typically insta-kill up to three or four additional enemies so long as they’re within range of your sword.

Your max health is permanently decreased as you take substantial amounts of damage. It can only be refilled by petting your magical hawk friend that comes to visit during each mission. Even when you’re deep in an underground facility in the middle of nowhere.

When Ryu gets all slow because of his stupid glowing arm, turning around to kill enemies takes for-freakin’-ever. Just push down on the right analog stick to instantly target the nearest enemy. You’re welcome.